MrJingles

I would guess that it's extremely rare due to an effective vaccine that is generally accepted as safe, and that people who may routinely be exposed to situations where they could get Tetanus are smart enough to get the vaccine.

Unlikely. the WWTP for Mass Maritime removes 98% of suspended solids in the treatment process. Coupled with the fact that their discharge rate, even when in session, is tiny compared to the amount of moving water in the canal, it is unlikely that the "floaters" you see are a direct result of the clean effluent discharged by MMA. My guess is swift currents + sediment + organic matter = your "floaters". Source: https://www.maritime.edu/community-engagement/sustainability/wastewater

I'm pretty sure I won a two night stay at a hotel somewhere down there

Wow, I fished the first one they ever did and I can't imagine it was more than 20-30 people in teams of 2...glad to see it getting good traction!

I'll be heading Falmouth to Woods Hole on Sunday, best of luck!

I like it, but I prefer their focal banger better. It gets so much credit because it’s the beer that spawned the whole NE IPA movement(for better, or worse).

If you're seeing heady topper at gas stations, let me know where you see it...I know during COVID the Alchemist started distributing, but you could never find it in quantity anywhere and it was usually gone within a few hours of it going in the cooler. Haven't seen it locally in several months. 100 bucks for 24 cans is really not that bad, there's plenty of people who go out to a bar or restaurant and spend 4-7 dollars for a domestic beer in a glass. I'd rather spend 4-5 dollars a can for good beer then spend the same amount for a draft bud light.

Mensa members? You're the one offering fish to fishermen

Yes, as long as they are artificial and cast via a fly rod, they are legal on that section of the Swift.

I'm thinking that there are a lot of opportunities to catch them on south facing beaches in MA, they just aren't regularly targeted because people think it's next to impossible...It would obviously be easier from a boat, but a lot of the fishing I do isn't necessarily because it's "easy"...I prefer the challenge and find it much more rewarding to catch in a way or from a place that not many people do...I'm not hard up to get meat every time I go out fishing/hunting, for me it's a hobby and any meat gained is a secondary benefit.

Last season, but not targetting. I'm also making the exact same thing my project this year and have done a bunch of research...check out buddha's "proven method-shore fluke" thread. I don't know how likely it is to catch keepers from shore in MA, but im certainly going to spend a majority of my time targeting them.

Still slinging **** at me?

Lot's of questions lead to great discussion. In order: 1.) Take your pick. the northeast is the birthplace of industry. While we certain aren't living on the Love Canal or Passaic river, there are all sorts of contaminants(heavy metals, PCBs, Pesticides, Hydrocarbons, etc) that we know about, and other emerging contaminants(PFAS, for example) that are concerning to me. 2.) To be honest, stocked trout are "probably" fine. I'm expecting that from the time they are released to the time they are caught, little bioaccumulation occurs. I just don't know the inner workings of hatcheries to make an informed decision. I also don't particularly like the taste of stocked trout, so it makes it even easier for me to release them. 3,4.) Yes, science involving fish in blenders and a battery of tests for a variety of contaminants, with the caveat being not a ton of samples from MA. Having seen data though, and knowing that similar conditions of where the sample(fish) was taken also exist in places in MA, it makes me pretty apprehensive about eating fish from surface water in MA. I wish I could elaborate more, but non-disclosures are a thing and this is about as much as I'm willing to put in writing. Ultimately: you're probably fine as long as your diet doesn't primarily consist of locally caught fish. I think for me, personally, it's the knowing what could potentially be in the fish that gives me the heebie-geebies. Kind of like seeing what goes into hot dogs or chicken nuggets, it becomes significantly less appetizing for some.

having worked in the environmental remediation industry, there isn't any ponds in eastern or central MA I'd want to eat fish from, even stocked trout.